We have been home for a little over a week now and our lives are crazy! I have been doing quick updates through our Facebook group, but thought it was time to blog about our first week too. I know I left out the last day of our China trip, the traveling home day(s), but I'm not ready to re-live it yet. Maybe someday soon😝
I'll start with our homecoming. Arriving at the airport was everything we hoped it would be and more! We were going on 48 hours of very little sleep so we were so glad that friends surprised us and arranged for a photographer and videographer to be there to capture it all. We have loved reminiscing. Aiden had been hurting on the flight so we stopped by the bathroom first to change his diaper. While I was washing my hands, Alana was getting him dressed and yelled, "Mom, he wants to walk!" We had not seen him walk much at all, so we were so excited to watch him walk through the airport to our awaiting friends and family. This also left my arms free to catch my other two sons as they ran toward me. I am in tears now just thinking about it. I missed them so much! God gave us a gift that night, and for 45 minutes, Aiden felt great, and we could enjoy our reunion.
We were overwhelmed by the amount of people that showed up late(10:15 p.m.) on a work night, and celebrated our familiy's reunion with us. It was an incredible way for Aiden to be welcomed to his new home and now we have video and pictures to share with him and this beautiful night as he gets older. He is so loved!
As I feared, Aiden wasn't having anything to do with the car seat. He screamed in pain, so I held him on the way home. We have since found out that he gets car sick, and he now wears sea bands, peppermint oil, a bib, and gets a sucker in the car.😀 It's working so far.
My parents stayed with us the first few days, and I am pretty sure I could not have made it through those days without them. They cooked for us, stocked our kitchen with groceries, cleaned, got the other three kids out of the house to do some fun things, and let us sleep when we needed to. I have the most giving parents and am so thankful to have them in my family's lives! I was so sad to see them leave.
While we were in China, Aiden always slept in his baby bed. Now that we were home, he would have nothing to do with the crib we had put in our room for him. He has slept with us every night. I have never let my kids co-sleep. I am a selfish sleeper. I want my space and my sleep. When there is a child in the bed, I just don't sleep as well. When I don't sleep well, I become a whiny, little child and no one else in the house is happy. Because of Aiden's rash, he is in pain when there is any stool in his diaper, and because of his GI problems, he stools constantly. Therefore, we are also up all night changing diapers for him to help ease his pain. Do you see where I am going with this? We need sleep! See, I told you I was whiny.
80% of the time, Aiden is in pain. When he is hurting, he wants me, and sometimes Alana, to hold him. The 20% of the time that he is feeling well, he is the happiest kid ever. He plays and sings and laughs. I cherish these moments since they are rare. We all take a deep breath and relax and just let these good times sink in because we know at any moment it will be gone.
Aiden doesn't realize yet that David is the fun parent and the favorite. He will soon, but right now I feel so bad for David because he wants to be able to comfort his son when he is hurting too, Aiden just won't let him yet. That will come. We knew to expect this, but it is hard watching it happen. There are some times I just need a break from him and have to leave the house. When I am not around, he will warm up to David more.
Alana, Ave, and Asa are adjusting well. Asa and Aiden are still getting to know each other. They have good moments and then there are moments where we can't leave them alone together. I have a lot of guilt at nap and bed time because I can't put Asa to bed since Aiden will only go to me. Asa also doesn't understand why BinBin gets to be held all the time. Asa wants to hug and kiss Aiden all the time and Aiden isn't exactly accepting of that yet😊 That will also come in time.
During the last week, we have seen 2 pediatricians, had a renal ultrasound, made a trip to the ER, and had our first visit with a new GI doctor. We are still working daily to help BinBin's rash to heal as it causes him so much pain.
Our visit with the GI doctor was our most promising yet. With Aiden's condition affecting 1 in 5000 births, there are only 3 specialists that we have found in the country that can really help him. I have a strong support group with other moms that have adopted children with this special need(we keep this private for Aiden's sake) and have been pre-warned that GI doctors try to treat our kids as regular patients when they are completely different. We got our first dose of this at the ER. I knew what the doctor was telling us to do was not what needed to happen for Aiden. I had my group of moms, that have seen these specialists and have been trained by them to help their children at home, read his X-rays. They also disagreed with the doctor's diagnosis. Now going against what a doctor tells me is not what I do, but these moms have BTDT and I trust them. I told the GI all of this, and he listened. He admitted upfront that we did not have what Aiden needed in Chattanooga and he would do everything I needed him to do as we worked with our Cincinnati doctor. He wanted to do what he could to get Aiden on the right path and sent us to the hospital to get Aiden a clean out.
So here we are, in a hospital room, praying that this is what is going to get us on the right track. This brave little boy is such an incredible fighter. He has a long road to recovery but we have hope today. I can't help but think of being here 2 years ago with Asa, when he was two months old, and being so scared as we spent a week in the hospital with him. God was with us then and He is with us now, giving us the strength we need to make it through this trial. The GI told me yesterday that it was great that we had taken on a need as big as Aiden's. I told him we felt crazy, and he said, "No, I'm know God has a plan." We know God does have a plan for our little fighter, and we can't wait to see it unfold!
I have to end by saying thank you. Our family does not have family close by which makes times like this difficult, but we have incredible friends that step in as family, and we are so grateful. Our home has been cleaned, our laundry has been picked up and washed and folded for us, we have had so many delicious meals delivered to our home, gift cards for food and supplies we need have been given, our other 3 children have been loved and cared for, and most of all we have been loved and prayed for daily. Thank you!